


Sweet Sacrifice

by Shadowkira



Category: Left 4 Dead, Left 4 Dead 2
Genre: Adventure, F/F, Friendship, Horror, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-17
Updated: 2013-03-17
Packaged: 2017-12-05 12:55:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/723540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowkira/pseuds/Shadowkira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(AU) Zoey and the gang enter the Sugar Mill, crawling with Witches who roam as they cry. When Zoey is separated from the boys, can she find a way to survive injured and without a gun?  Or will she'll find strength in an unexpected ally?   </p><p>(Zoey x Witch friendship, hints to them being more later. Rated for possible language but mostly for gore.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally meant to be a one-shot but it's become a lot longer than I was intending... Plan is still the same to keep it "short and sweet" chapter wise. I was thinking that the guys could have been attacked by a Tank when Zoey got jumped by the Jockey. This is my first time writing for Left 4 Dead, I love the games and zombies so I figured I'd give some stories a shot. I don't necessarily love the idea of pairing a Witch with a survivor romantically, it has to be done correctly... But I love Witches, they're very interesting to me. I wanted to explore a little bit of my own curiosity with their traits from the game as well as go into how I think Zoey would react since she loves zombie films. This was kind of brought on by my reading of L4D fanfictions and playing the games to get into another zombie fanfiction I've been working on... Hope you like it!

Thunder boomed loudly causing the partially submerged body to stir, the young woman's fingers twitched slightly. Her eyes danced behind her eyelids before she finally allowed them to flutter open.

Zoey winced as she tried to sit up, she guessed the Jockey that had been forcing her away from her group hadn't been paying attention to where he was going.

She remembered it had been raining when he'd jumped her. She had tried to yell but over the sound of gunfire and the hellish rain that had been falling the others must not have heard her.

Zoey didn't know how long or how far the Jockey had taken her away from her allies but she could tell she was not safe. Her body was shaking, cold and soaked. She felt around weakly for her gun to no avail, instead the body of the Jockey was illuminated by a flash of lightning. It was partially submerged in the mucky water just inches away.

She moved backwards out of instinct, despite the fact that it appeared to be dead she wanted to be no where near it. Zoey froze as her back met a solid building, her eyes narrowed as she glanced up and into the rain. As her sight adjusted she could slowly begin to piece together where she was, she'd been taken back almost into the main storage building for the sugar.

"Little bastard..." She mumbled, kicking her foot in the direction of the dead Jockey.

The only response was a loud crack of thunder over head, lightning crawled across the sky. Realizing it was a bad idea to remain where she was with the weather, Zoey forced herself up onto her feet. She grit her teeth as her left leg began to sting sharply, she reached into her partially ripped pack and retrieved a bottle of pills. They would hold her over until she was safe enough to take the time to heal.

Without a gun and with the deadly lightning looming above she had to make it back into the storage building and wait for the others.

She replaced her pack and removed her fire axe from its make shift sling before taking the first step towards her destination.

Her nerves were frazzled but her adrenaline kept her going, even through the pain. Her limp slowed her down but she steadily made her way forward. Sneaking past one or two infected thanks to the noise and the rain concealing her scent.

She had been listening intently for the sound of gunfire or talking but had heard nothing over the elements, her hope of finding her friends had dwindled.

Despite that dawning realization Zoey felt relief wash over her as she realized she'd made it without incident to the outside of the storage building. The sight of the worn red brick warming her cold body for a moment, she glanced along the length of the wall. She knew already there was no way she could climb back up to the way she'd come. Especially with how soaked, tired and sore her body was.

If she could find some form of crack or maybe even a door leading into the bottom floor she could find a deserted spot to rest until the sun rose tomorrow.

As she rounded the corner of the building she felt her heart pick up it's pace, there it was. A crack in the brick barely big enough for her to squeeze through but it would work. Zoey grunted as she pressed her body through the worn wall sideways, her nose crinkling as the rough edges brushed her cheek.

The air inside was still damp but in comparison to the outside it was immensely warmer, Zoey sighed in relief. She paused a moment, resting with her back against the wall as she tried to keep her emotions in check. She knew that her body would give out soon if she didn't stop to rest and regain her strength.

The partially enclosed space she'd entered was damp from the crack in the wall and she also guessed that if the guys did come back for her they would take the high ground. Realizing this meant she'd have to make her way to the second floor and re-secure it for herself she felt her mood drop slightly.

Somewhere in the back of her mind the brunette quietly thought that maybe it would still be deserted from when they'd come through earlier.

Trying to ignore the fear making its way into the pit of her stomach the young woman moved forward cautiously, her knuckles white as she gripped her weapon.

She paused as the rain reduced to almost a drizzle, a sound stopping her in her tracks. Crying. There was a Witch nearby.

Zoey gulped, and pressed her body into the nearby wall. She'd been on the side opposite of the steps and if she was right the Witch was positioned very close to them. The crying sounded different than it had earlier, it was a low, persistent sob.

As she moved forward again, she thought back to the first time she had encountered a Witch with Bill. The same crying had caught their attention back then, she'd thought that maybe the sobs had belonged to a survivor.

And even after they'd seen the ghoulish creature cowering in the back of a storage closet she'd felt a huge amount of sympathy for what had once been a woman, possibly with similar interests to her own. The Witch had seemed so frail then, her long boney limbs wrapped tightly around her hunched form that shook with violent sobs. The only thing that had seemed immediately dangerous were those claws. Long, thin and coated with dried blood.

She knew that Bill had noticed her fascination with them from that point on, how she'd not only figure out where they were with the scope but study them before finally being forced to move on with the group. When he'd questioned her about it she'd chalked it up to a combination of curiosity and her own quirky personality. She had been going to school to write what was essentially now her life, the Witch was another character to her. One that she longed to know the story of, how did she become different than the other infected? Why did she cry? Why did she not seek out and hunt the survivors like her fellow Special Infected?

Although she had not lied to Bill she hadn't been entirely truthful either. Zoey didn't know what fascinated her about the Witch.

The Witch was definitely an enigma but despite her previous feelings towards the creature, Zoey's usual bravado was absent. It was back with her companions, lost somewhere in the storm.

Peeking around the corner, Zoey felt her stomach twist into a painful knot. Although she'd made the good decision to take the longer way around, she could now see that the Witch was still close enough to her side of the stairs that things could get messy.

The blessing about the Witch's position laid in the fact that she was facing away from the survivor, lessening the chance of Zoey startling her if she moved quietly.

The Witch's presence also meant that there were most likely less common infected in the area, another plus. Creeping forward, her grip tight on her axe, Zoey tried to keep moving through the pluses of this situation.

She had felt her adrenaline beginning to peak again, the Witches sobs were louder than she'd ever heard them. She'd been close to one before but there was always some other form of sound, now all she could hear was crying and the faint sound of the rain.

Zoey couldn't help but pause, her eyes taking in the pathetic form of the other female. She felt a small tug, urging her to go and comfort the infected creature. But her common sense won the battle, reminding her that if she liked her limbs and life she'd move up the steps instead.

As she reached the top of the steps, a small victory smile slid across her lips. The smile quickly fled her features though as a new sound echoed from the shadows a few feet away.

But it was too late, letting out a small gasp Zoey did her best to shield her eyes from the sticky goo like vomit. The Boomer let out a belch as it drew closer, the brunette could barely make out the silhouette of the large infected as he bumbled towards her. She swung wildly with her axe. She knew at this point it would be better to burst him than to let him continue to attack her since she was already covered in goo.

Her axe connected with a solid blow to his abdomen, a gurgling groan was the last sound the Boomer uttered before he exploded from the pressure of his inner gases being released. The force of the infected's death throws knocked Zoey back, her shoes squeaked as they slid across the Boomer bile.

She fought to right herself but the slippery substance beneath her hindered her attempts, she felt herself falling backwards. The tell tale dip of her stomach made her hold her breath until she impacted heavily with the first floor.

xxx

Zoey's eyes shifted beneath their lids, a small groan making it's way past her chapped lips. It was raining again, stray drops were finding her face before slowly making their way towards the floor.

She tried to will her eyes open but found the task difficult, her body was filled with a dull pain. Everything hurt, she hurt so badly that her other senses were dulled. As a more time passed they began to return, her sense of smell came back first. The thick scent of iron hitting her like a mac truck, she was bleeding.

She tried to open her eyes again, no luck. They remained squeezed shut tightly, another groan.

Her ears seemed to pop, sound returning suddenly making her brows furrow together even more. She could hear the thunder, the rain and crying. It was soft, barely something she could pick out amongst the other sounds.

Her eyes fluttered open slowly, they winced as lightning flashed above. She could see the rain falling down just passed the steps, the open sky angry and relentless.

The crying stopped then, she moved slowly. Her painful attempts fueled by both curiosity and fear.

One of the two emotions was mirrored in the dimly glowing red eyes that were watching her closely. Zoey felt her heart leap into her throat, the Witch's close proximity making her wish she'd remained laying. Faking either sleep or death until the morning when the infected would continue her rounds of sobbing across the grounds.

Without moving her head the brunette looked around for her axe but the weapon was far out of reach.

The Witch followed her gaze, her lip curling up into a snarl until Zoey's terrified eyes moved back to meet her own.

The lip immediately twitched back into place, pressed into a loose line with the other. Zoey gulped, not knowing if she should look the infected directly in the eye or not. She'd always heard with animals you weren't supposed to make eye contact with one that could kill you and then look away first, it was a sign of weakness.

She'd already done it once, she had to hold her ground this time. Everything else about her appearance must have already seemed weak to the much more physically powerful creature just a foot or so away from her.

The Witch's blood shot eyes searched her own, they flicked back and forth slightly. The faint glow was very dim compared to the crying or angry ones she'd seen in the past. Finally the infected lowered her eyes, much to Zoey's relief. At first she thought the Witch was planning to resume her sobbing but instead the creature began to look over the survivor's wounded form.

Not appreciating the attention, Zoey fought the urge to cover up her injuries. She didn't know if it would be more or less appealing to the Witch to seem weak and defenseless. The eye contact had been dominance but the creature in front of her had to know that there was no possible way she could fight back in her current condition.

The brunette's body stiffened as long claws extended towards her leg, her wide eyes watched as the Witch gently inspected her pocket. Tugging at the lip of the fabric curiously before lifting it up ever so slightly, Zoey watched puzzled. Her worry quickly set back in as the Witch began to lean in, her nostrils flaring as she sniffed the air.

Zoey aside from trembling slightly remained still, her eyes watching as the Witch cut the pocket open slightly before extracting the remnants of a chocolate bar from the tattered remains.

She watched as the creature sniffed and cautiously licked at the disfigured candy before popping it into her mouth with a happy groan.

That's when it dawned on Zoey, "You like sugar." She said simply, making the red eyes rise back up to meet her own. The wrapper slipped free of the claws and fell back down to the cement floor.

Zoey's mind was racing a mile a minute, it was no wonder there were so many Witches here. They had been wondering, at one point they'd thought maybe it had to do with the weather. But this made more sense, Witches didn't target survivors because they didn't feed off of them... Unless maybe they were desperate.

The Witches here were much easier to get passed because they weren't as irritable and hungry as their counterparts in areas lacking their sweet favored food. As she looked the Witch in front of her over Zoey could see small signs that set this Witch apart from the previous ones she'd seen up close.

Her form wasn't quite as boney and defined as the others, she was more filled in. Her eyes although red weren't as heavily sunken in and only glowed faintly when she wasn't aggravated. Her smell was still musky and somewhat rotten but it was mostly covered by the sweet smell of the building around them. Small particles of sugar clung to the spots of dried blood on the infected, most likely from when she immersed herself in it to feed.

The two females regarded each other in silence, the Witch remained in her hunched position and Zoey laid still.

The silence continued for several minutes, Zoey still nervous about breaking eye contact with the infected in front of her. The Witch finally lowered her eyes to her hands, the clawed appendages laid palm up in her lap. She began to whimper quietly, most likely with the intent to start her trademark sobbing again.

Zoey chewed on the inside of her cheek thoughtfully before slowly reaching behind her back for her bag. The Witch grew quiet, her eyes rising again to follow the human woman's movements. The brunette dug around as carefully as she could in her back pack. Her eyes glancing back up towards the Witch to make sure the pale woman wasn't becoming aggravated by her rummaging.

Her green eyes widened slightly as her fingers brushed the pistol Bill had given her when they'd first met, she'd forgotten that she'd stashed it in her bag when she'd picked up her fire axe. She decided it was best to leave the weapon in her bag for now after the Witch's reaction to her even looking at her axe before.

She instead removed another candy bar, tugging the wrapping open quickly before breaking a piece off for the curious creature who was still watching her closely.

"Here, have some." She said gently, the large chunk of chocolate sitting in the center of her outstretched hand.

The Witch's red eyes bobbed up and down between the chocolate and the injured human offering it. She sniffed the air again deeply before giving into temptation.

Zoey's brows furrowed as the creature leaned her head in instead of using her claws like she'd done before, the cool breath that escaped the Witch's parted lips causing her to shudder. She guessed the infected woman breathed from a lingering instinct from when she was human. Her thoughts were cut short as her eyes grew wide, a cool, wet tongue swiping the chocolate up from her hand.

Zoey retracted her hand quickly, wiping her hand on her dirty and torn coat. The Witch failed to notice, her eyes had fluttered shut as she leaned back to enjoy her treat.

The human couldn't help but chuckle at the bizarre behavior being displayed from what was considered to be one of the most dangerous special infected.  
She immediately grew quiet though as a loud groan and screech echoed from the shadows around them, the Witch also became alert. A low growl resonating from deep within her chest.

Suddenly Zoey remembered what had happened before she'd blacked out, she stared down at her dirty clothing. A faint green tinge still clung to them, the dried Boomer bile had cracked slightly when she'd sat up. She looked down towards the shorter path to where she'd entered the building, several sets of glowing eyes meeting her own. She then looked over her shoulder, passed the stairs and towards the front of the building. More eyes watching there, the only thing that seemed to be keeping them away was the irritated Witch.

The pale woman's features were contorted into a snarl, her sharp teeth illuminating as the lightning flashed outside. Zoey felt her blood run cold, this was more like the Witches she recognized. One of the zombies lumbered from the shadows, it seemed he hoped to make it closer to the injured human while the Witch had her back turned.

The Witch however heard him very well, she let out a loud cry. Twisting her body around as she rose, her clawed hands rising above her head as she glared towards him. He shrunk back slightly, his glazed eyes moving back over to Zoey for a moment before he lurched forward. Apparently the temptation was too much for the mindless common, the Witch let out a loud wail as she slashed at him. He ignored her and tried again, this time pushing his limit too far.

The zombie let out a weak groan as he was cut nearly in half, the Witch snarled angrily. Her bloodied hand swatting back and forth in an attempt to rid itself of the infected's stench, Zoey noted it mentally before her wide eyes turned over her shoulder.

She'd almost forgotten about the infected watching from passed the steps, the Witch turned as three of them moved to follow the one she'd just slain. A deep sob like cry erupted from her parted lips, it was a warning. They too seemed to ignore it, Zoey watched in horror as they continued to limp forward. She moved to unzip her bag and retrieve the pistol, in case the Witch needed back up. It was for a last resort however, given one loud bang from the gun could possibly turn her new acquaintance against her as well.

Zoey watched as the Witch moved with deadly intent, her claws easily tearing through the rotting flesh like a knife through butter.

Suddenly over the sounds of carnage Zoey heard another sound that sent her heart plummeting, a heavy cough echoed from in front of her. A thick green smoke seemed to move out from the shadows, a slimy tongue flew out towards her torso.

It connected heavily, wrapping itself around her like a python and pulling tight. The young woman let out a weak cry as the air was rushed from her lungs by the pressure. The Witch turned, her eyes glowing brighter as her rage increased.

She shrieked, barreling forward with a ferocity that would have frightened Zoey immensely if the creature wasn't seemingly on her side. The Smoker emitted a low growl, it ended with the trademark hacking cough. The normal infected that had been waiting in the shadows moved forward to meet the Witch, she sliced through them easily. But the Smoker had gained enough time to bring Zoey within striking distance of his sharp claws, the girl gasped as they raked deeply into her back.

Her eyes were hardly functioning as tears filled her line of vision, the tight grip the Smoker's tongue had on her neck was preventing her from breathing. She tried to cry out but no sound came forward. Her mouth moving uselessly in her frantic attempts.

The Smoker grunted, pushing Zoey into the angry approaching Witch. The infected female pushed passed the nearly unconscious human, her claws and arms raised beside her head. Her eyes flashing as she moved in for the kill. Her first slash severed the Smoker's main tongue, nearly taking off it's bottom jaw with it. The second slash dug deeply into the taller infected's stomach, a puff of smoke escaped but the Witch continued her vicious attack. Two more swipes and the Smoker was cleaved in half, the rest of his noxious fumes escaping his now open chest cavity.

Zoey could feel herself becoming faint again, she desperately needed to clean and bandage her wounds. The new slashes on her back were bleeding and the old wounds, including the one on her leg had reopened during her panicked thrashing. She groaned, pushing herself against the nearby wall. She could feel the raw sugar beneath her hands shifting as she tried to find a comfortable sitting position.

Her eyes moved to the Witch who was breathing heavily nearby, the infected woman's shoulders were shaking slightly. Her thick white hair concealing her face as she leaned forward, still in a defensive stance. Any zombies still within the area seemed to take the hint, Zoey saw no more moving from the shadows to attempt an attack. Although she still felt very exposed, the young woman knew that at least one of these small partially enclosed areas would offer more protection in the case of an attack.

She didn't know how long the Witch planned on staying in the area, she could easily move on as soon as the sun was up. Trying to push the thought into the back of her mind, the woman pulled her pack to her lap. She frowned deeply as she saw the deep slashes from the Smoker had torn open the top, she didn't even need to unzipper it at this point.

Sighing, Zoey reached inside and pulled out her pills and the health pack. She popped two of the pills into her mouth, stashing them away before unzipping the health pack. She pulled out the medical tape, gauze, tweezers and small bottle of peroxide.

Once she realized the zombies had decided to give up on their attack the Witch lowered her hackles, her muscles relaxing as well as she returned to a crouched position. Her pale, glowing eyes watched Zoey's movements curiously as she winced. The peroxide bubbling as it hit the dirty wounds on her body, the woman fought back a weak chuckle as the Witch cocked her head.

"Don't worry, it's good. Getting all the shit outta there..." Zoey said softly, she didn't know if the other woman could understand her. But it felt good to have someone to 'talk' to regardless.

Zoey made sure to clean all of the wounds she could reach, she realized that she wouldn't be able to get the slashes on her back very well but she could at least pour the peroxide over them. Glancing shyly towards the red eyes watching her intently, the brunette carefully removed her torn track jacket. She then began to lift her torn and stained white T-shirt. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she realized the Witch was still staring, she mentally reminded herself that the woman watching her wasn't exactly a normal person.

Goose bumps quickly covered the young woman's exposed flesh as she moved to pour the liquid down her shoulders, her eyes moved to meet the Witch's as the cool liquid burned the dirt from the slashes. Zoey hissed through her teeth as the peroxide rolled down her back, she retrieved the cleanest cloth from her pack to catch the liquid before it reached her pants. She dabbed up the excess as best she could before attempting awkwardly to place gauze pads with the medical tape over the slashes. Realizing she would most likely end up putting the tap over one of the cuts, the woman swore under her breath before tossing the gauze to the ground in frustration.

The Witch made a small sound in the back of her throat, her head cocking to the side slightly. She seemed a little surprised by the woman's sudden outburst. Zoey felt her cheeks warming a bit, a little ashamed that she'd lost her cool so close to the creature. She knew well that it didn't take much to set off a Witch, she shouldn't push her luck. No matter how curious and passive this one appeared to be.

She looked up again as she carefully pulled on her shirt, the Witch's eyes had since lowered to her lap. Her claws were fumbling almost shyly, Zoey blushed. Maybe this woman was more normal than she'd thought...

The brunette quickly realized that the Witch hadn't been embarrassed by her lack of clothing but was actually shy of her own appearance. She was fumbling with her long, claw like fingers in an attempt to clean them of the blood. Zoey blinked, her mind going back to when the Witch had slashed and killed the first infected that had gone after her. She'd been shaking her hand in an attempt to get rid of the gore almost instantly after it had happened.

Zoey smiled slightly as she reached back into her bag, she kept two canteens of water on her at all times. Both were boiled and ready to drink but one was also used for washing hands or freshening up. Grabbing the emptier of the two, she took the rag she'd just used to catch and wipe off the peroxide and moved closer to the infected woman.

The Witch watched cautiously but made no attempt to move away, Zoey looked up slowly until their eyes met.

"I won't hurt you, I promise. I'm just going to try to see if I can help clean you up." She said, the smile still tugging lightly at her lips.

The Witch made no outright sign that she understood but didn't object when Zoey gently moved one of her hands onto her jeans. Careful of the sharp edge to the claws the human began to gently clean away the blood and grime.

The infected woman watched in silence, occasionally making a small sound of what Zoey thought to be approval in the back of her throat. When the rag became too filled with blood and dirt, the brunette would wring it out and pour some water onto it to clear it out a bit.

She didn't get the Witch squeaky clean by any means but she was much better than she had been before.

Before she could stop it, a small yawn escaped the human. She moved back towards the wall and her pack, leaving the towel just beyond the pile of sugar to dry on the cement. She looked over at the Witch and smiled before curling up, the creature remained where it was. Watching her quietly as she slowly began to drift into a light sleep.

xxx

Zoey mumbled as she felt something cool press against her body, her eyes fluttered open. She was surprised to see that the Witch was pressed to the wall next to her, the infected woman's back was facing her but the contact was enough to bring a smile to Zoey's lips. If only the Witches in Pennsylvania had been able to get to a better sugar source, maybe she would have encountered one she could have befriended sooner.

"Good night." The girl whispered quietly, she doubted the other woman had even heard her. She watched as the muscles lining the infected's back tensed for a moment. A dimly glowing red eye peeked over a pale shoulder, Zoey fought back a laugh. Her eyes once again growing heavy as she nuzzled back down into her folded arm. She wasn't sure if the other woman would still be there when she woke up. But she hoped that she could trust her to stay. If not, at least she could die having made a new friend in such difficult times.


	2. Chapter 2

Zoey groaned, shifting in her sleep in an attempt to be more comfortable. She sat up straight for a moment, her eyes still clamped shut. Groggily laying back down facing in the opposite direction, she'd found a much more comfortable spot and snuggled in contentedly.

She was about to fall back into a deep sleep when she felt her pillow shift, almost as if out of discomfort. The young woman's green eyes opened slowly and widened as they realized what lay beneath them.

"Oh, sorry." Zoey mumbled, sitting up quickly and wiping at her mouth with the back of her hand. The Witch merely stared wide eyed, her back pressed into the wall timidly as she stared at the human.

Zoey could feel herself growing warm, she wasn't sure what had possessed her body to cuddle up to the other woman but she had to admit it had been more comfortable than her arm. The brunette rubbed at her temples, her head throbbing.

The pale flesh of the Witch's thighs were tinged red from where the warm body had laid just a moment before, her body relaxed as she watched the bizarre human stretch.

Zoey let out a weak groan as the successful stretch ended, she smiled slightly before looking back to the Witch. "Thanks for the company."

Not waiting for the reply she knew would not come, the survivor peeked around to make sure none of the common infected had lingered after last nights attack. Seeing that the coast was clear she made her way over to the small patch of grass that had grown in the center of the building by the stairs.

She returned several minutes later, glad for once that the Witch had not followed her. She straightened down her track jacket as she moved to retake her seated position, she wasn't proud of it. But she'd had to use an already torn strip of her T-shirt as a substitute for toilet paper. Now she began to inspect her favorite jacket, it was covered in dirt, blood, Boomer bile and who knew what else. The fabric was stiff and torn, exposing her undershirt and at some points her skin.

She frowned and shifted uncomfortably as she realized she had some sugar in her bra from her tossing in her sleep, she fidgeted with her clothing in an attempt to rid herself of the annoying granules.

The Witch leaned in towards her suddenly, the close proximity of the infected's face to her own nearly making her flinch back. The Witch ignored her discomfort and leaned in closer, her cool tongue moving over Zoey's neck as she attempted to clean up stray pieces of sugar that had stuck to the girl while she slept.

Zoey's body went rigid, her eyes fluttered shut at the contact and she bit down on her lip to fight back any other reactions. It had been a while since she'd felt anyone's mouth on her neck, even if the Witch had very different reasons for the touch. She was afraid that if she forced the Witch to stop it might aggravate her, so instead she let the powerful creature clean her without a fuss.

Her body shivered as the Witch sniffed at her neck, inspecting that the sugar was gone. A gentle claw moved through the hair that had been tied back tightly the day before, shaking the sugar free. The pale woman greedily lapped up the stray pieces as they connected with Zoey's clothing. It was taking all of the brunette's self control to remain still.

This continued for several minutes, the Witch doing a thorough inspection of her new companion. Zoey felt the breath she'd been holding finally ease it's way out as the Witch backed off for a moment.

She was about to open her eyes to make sure that the other woman had backed off completely when she felt the opposite. The Witch suddenly climbed on top of her, straddling her legs and pinning her tighter to the wall. Zoey once again stiffened her body, the Witch growling lowly from the back of her throat.

The brunette could feel sweat beginning to build on the back of her neck, the Witch's abdomen was pressing into her cheek. Her scent was intoxicating and not in a bad way. Zoey realized that her first assumption was incorrect, the woman actually smelled earthy and sweet. The smell she'd encountered before, that of what she typically associated with death and rotting flesh was from the blood that had lined the other woman's claws.

As much as she didn't want to startle the Witch, Zoey felt extremely uncomfortable in her current position. She placed both of her hands on the Witch's arms gently. The two thin but powerful appendages were leaning on wall on either side of her head, keeping her in place.

Glancing up however, Zoey quickly realized that the infected's growling was not directed towards her.

"Something is out there, isn't it?" She whispered, as quietly as she could. The Witch grew quiet for a moment, her eyes shooting down to meet the human's. She nodded, surprising Zoey once more before looking back up.

Zoey felt her throat go dry as she heard a wild squealing towards the entrance of the Sugar Mill, the one they'd come through on the first night. She guessed that the Witch was currently trying to hide her both from view and also from having her scent be detected. The Spitter however seemed to have already caught on to the fact that a survivor was near.

Growling louder, the Witch turned away from the wall. Her claws on her right hand scraping against the brick loudly as she did.

It was then that the Spitter emerged from the shadows, she paused as she noticed the extremely angry Witch staring her down. But her face seemed to light up in what Zoey could only imagine was excitement as she noticed the human. Her disfigured maw widening as she squealed happily, a bit of the green acid spilling over her chin.

Zoey flinched and covered her ears as the Witch let out a wickedly loud screech and rushed towards the other infected woman. But the first swipe missed by a large margin, giving the Spitter an opening.

Another cry echoed around the barren walls, Zoey opened her eyes again just in time to catch the last of the Spitter's goo hitting the ground. The Witch with her back turned had been unable to dodge all of the acid, it had splattered slightly across her lower back.

Reaching into her bag, the survivor dug around frantically for her pistol. Although she knew that Witches were extremely powerful, their claws were their only weapon. And with death, the Spitter was known to let off all reserved acid in an attempt to take down it's attacker or victim with it. She wasn't about to sit by and watch the pale woman who had protected her thus far take anymore damage than she needed to.

A smile tugged at Zoey's lips as her fingers wrapped around the grip of her Magnum Pistol, the weight of the weapon in her hand a relief in itself. It was something she'd come accustom to, she'd forgotten how much she'd missed it.

She looked up again as another pain filled cry reached her ears, the Witch was doing her best to dodge the almost relentless attacks from the Spitter but she was running out of ground quickly. The acid only lasted so long but it would still burn the exposed flesh upon contact after mostly dispersing, the survivors had been lucky with their thick soled shoes.

The Witch only saw red as she swung widely at her enemy, barely keeping her attention on the acid that the Spitter was spraying as quickly as she could produce it. Each slash she landed caused her to scream out in pain, her claws burning as they contacted the acid directly. She was too distracted to notice the survivor approaching quietly, pistol in hand.

There was a loud bang, Zoey grinned as she fired off a second shot for good measure. A decent chunk of the Spitter's skull flying free as the bullet ripped into her infected flesh. But before she could celebrate further she felt herself being thrown backwards, a rush of white clouding her vision before she contacted heavily with the concrete.

"Wha-" The brunette gasped, her eyes widened as she realized the Witch had tackled her to the ground. The Acid bubbling not far from her feet, the infected woman leaned over her. Intense red eyes boring into Zoey's, the Witch breathed heavily. Low growls escaping her throat as she held the smaller woman's body against the ground.

Realizing that she was still holding the pistol, Zoey released the weapon slowly before sliding it away from her hand. "It's okay, see?" She said in a soft voice, her eyes never leaving the ones above her own.

"It's okay." Zoey repeated, her right hand gently pushing the white hair out of the infected woman's face. Her left hand then slowly rose to mimic the right one and cup the Witch's cool cheeks. She didn't know if it was the adrenaline from the fight or the lingering response from the Witch's innocent actions earlier. But without thought, Zoey let her right hand fall to brace herself as she lifted up slightly. She brushed her lips across the Witch's in a chaste kiss, barely enough for her to feel the cool skin connect with her own.

A few minutes passed in silence, the red glow that had brightened during the scuffle slowly fading as the Witch calmed down. Her eyes had softened considerably but she made no movement to rise, Zoey remained still beneath her. The human woman's cheeks were tinged red, her mind trying to figure out exactly why she'd kissed her once feared 'enemy.'

She hadn't been kissed or done much kissing in her short life. She'd grown up as a tomboy, a gamer and the daughter of a cop. Needless to say, boys were often put off by her father, they did enjoy her gaming interests... Until she beat them of course. She'd always found other girls attractive but she'd never known how to approach anyone about it. Girls were beautiful, soft and curvy. But her gaydar was awful and she had hardly any female friends as it was.

She stared up at the pale woman above her, although the infection had twisted the woman's features somewhat. Zoey couldn't help but find her attractive. Her lips were full, and usually somewhat pouty. She had a petite nose that curved up just slightly at the tip and semi wide, red eyes. The Witch's eyes were currently half lidded, glowing softly and topped off with slightly furrowed brows.

The infected woman seemed just as curious about Zoey's actions as she was, she raised her claws slowly to her lips. She stopped, eyes narrowing as she realized they were still coated in acidic residue.

"Do you want me to clean them for you?"

Zoey's quiet question made her look back down, the Witch nodded before slowly climbing off of her companion. She gave the other woman some room to get up, watching warily as Zoey reached for her pistol.

"It's okay, I just need to keep it close in case something attacks... I won't hurt you with it." She reassured gently, the two of them made their way back over to Zoey's back pack.

The Witch knelt down and watched silently as Zoey got out her canteen and a cloth similar to the one she'd used the day before. She paused a moment, retrieving her pill bottle and popping two of the small white pills before returning to what she'd been doing.

"Do you have a name?" The brunette asked as she poured the water onto the cloth, her eyes rose to meet the ones watching her. The Witch shook her head slowly, a frown tugging slightly at her lips.

"Hmmm. I think I have one for you, you have to tell me if you like it..." She chewed on her lip for a moment before responding, "Do you like the name Sonya? I was going to use it for a movie... It means wisdom, I think it's a nice fit." She said, a smile widening as the Witch gave a small sound of approval.

"Sonya it is then, I'm Zoey." The woman said, her eyes darting up to meet Sonya's curious gaze as she watched the grime being cleaned from her claws.

Zoey scrubbed at the claws carefully, not only did she need to watch out for the sharp edge this time. But also the dried acid, at this point it was only an annoyance but she didn't want to get it on her fingers and then risk touching her face. Pleased with her handiwork, the survivor looked up to Sonya.

"Can you lay down or turn so I can get your back?"

The Witch looked down sheepishly but did as she was told, she turned her body around and pushed her legs out in front of her. Her eyes watched warily over her shoulder as the brunette went to work on the sensitive flesh of her back.

Zoey's brows furrowed as she began to gently dab away the dried acid, it hadn't been nearly as bad as she'd thought. The small spots had already begun to heal thanks to the infection and the abilities it had given to the other woman.

xxx

A few hours had passed in silence, Zoey had taken a small nap and eaten some jerky she'd had stashed away in her bag. She looked up as she chewed on the last bit, she had felt Sonya's eyes on her the entire time she'd been eating.

"C'mere." The brunette said with a small laugh, patting the spot next to her.

Sonya hesitated a moment before moving over quickly, she stayed low to the ground hands helping her hold her crouched position. Zoey pulled the remaining chunk of chocolate free from its wrapper and handed it to her friend. The Witch hesitated for a moment before shoving it all into her mouth, she turned away and chewed greedily.

Zoey stifled a chuckle as Sonya turned back, there were a few small pieces of chocolate clinging to her lips. Reaching out, the human brushed her thumb gently against them to remove the chocolate.

A pale, clawed hand caught her own as she moved to pull it away. Zoey's eyes widened as Sonya snuggled into the warm hand, red eyes opened slowly to meet the green ones watching her with shock.

The human felt her cheeks burn as Sonya turned her head slightly and brushed her lips against her hand, mimicking the survivor's actions from earlier. The Witch's eyes rose nervously, she released Zoey's hand as she noticed the other woman's expression. The sadness that filled Sonya's eyes as she retracted her hand made the human's throat tighten but she didn't know how long she could keep this up.

She didn't know how much the infected woman could feel, she was intelligent but did she have the capacity to love? Her willingness to consent was also questionable. There was also quite a bit of risk in starting a relationship with something that could possible maim or kill you without even trying.

The girl rose quickly, hiding her inflamed cheeks as she did. She grabbed her pistol and slid it into the back of her jeans, "I'll be back..." She mumbled softly, her only response was a small whimper.

xxx

After her extremely short walk, Zoey had found herself on the steps. She had wanted to go back into the small grassy patch but the torrential down pour coming through the roof made her rethink her decision. She chewed on her lip as she leaned back against the wall, her lower body stretched out across the fourth step up. There was no way the others would find her in this, she knew that they would have to come back through the Sugar Mill at some point. But she didn't know how long that would take since they had to lug the gasoline along with them.

As she sat there she could feel her self growing more and more chilled, it was a bizarre kind of cold. It was almost as if depression was setting along with the chill that came from the breeze and falling rain. She looked up, the color of the sky told her it was in the evening by now. She'd otherwise lost her sense of time, although... With her new companion she found that she didn't mind that, she didn't mind it at all.

The Witch had moved back into the corner, her eyes glowing faintly from the shadows as she watched Zoey from a distance.

The brunette sat on the steps for a while, her hunched form began to shiver from the rain that would occasionally be blown from the storm. She shivered heavily, deciding that maybe it was time to head back in to have a snack before bed.

After relieving herself one more time for the night, Zoey moved back to her bag. She could see the Witch's form beginning to stir from the corner of her eye, she held out a piece of candy. Sonya quickly lapped it up, her expression however quickly fell.

Zoey covered her mouth, stifling a giggle as she watched a myriad of expressions cross the Witch's face. Within seconds, the pale woman was spitting out the Starburst wrapper. Her nose wrinkled slightly in disapproval, Zoey nodded with a laugh.

"Yeah... Sorry, I forgot to mention you don't eat those. Here." She said offering another, this time without the wrapper.

Sonya moved in quickly, pausing as she drew close to Zoey's hand. Her eyes rose to meet the humans as she sniffed to make sure it was completely wrapper free. The red orbs lingered as her cold tongue snaked out, a slight eye brow arched as Zoey's expression shifted.

The human watched the candy disappear with the tongue as if she were in a trance, 'if only she knew exactly what she was doing.' The girl thought, her throat going dry.

She'd never been hit on by a woman, she'd had a few clumsy or piggish attempts from men but most had been unsuccessful.

The thought of Sonya pinning her to the wall with the intent to romance her had a warm sensation beginning in her lower stomach. She reached into her bag with a firm shake of her head, she needed to make those thoughts disappear. And quick.

Pulling out a can of soda, the human watched Sonya pick at the rest of the Starburst as she fingered the tab. "This is going to be loud." She warned, her voice making the Witch look up from her snack.

There was a metallic 'pop' as the tab punctured the top of the can, followed by the fizz of the carbonation escaping into the air. Zoey brought the can to her lips, taking a deep gulp from it before offering it to the Witch.

"Here, it's good. You drink it." She said, taking another small sip for example.

She giggled openly as she watched Sonya nearly jump out of her skin as she attempted to mimic the human's movements.

The Witch's highly tuned senses were being bombarded with the sound of the bubbles popping within the can, she pulled it closer to sniff at it before giving Zoey a horrified look.

"No, really. It's okay." Zoey said, trying her best to remain serious as she comforted the other woman.

She watched Sonya raise the drink to her lips with shaky and unsteady hands. Her palms were the only real part of her hand connecting with the can, her long, finger like claws sticking straight out in an attempt to not puncture it with them. Zoey watched on quietly, her eyes dancing with amusement.

As soon as the soda made it's way into Sonya's waiting mouth the drink quickly disappeared, the Witch made a deep sound of approval and licked her lips.

Zoey shivered suddenly, remembering that her jacket was soaked from sitting by the steps she made the decision to remove it. She moved over to where she'd laid the towel out the day before, picking it up before replacing it with her jacket.

Her T-Shirt hadn't gotten nearly as wet but was still moist enough she figured she should remove it as well. She moved back to her bag quickly and pulled out a wrinkled grey tee from the bottom of her back pack. She pulled the shirt over her head and let out a small sigh as she relished in it's warmth.

Her eyes moved over to where Sonya was still playing with a wrapper to a Starburst, her claws picking at the edge of the wrapper like she'd seen Zoey doing minutes before. "Let me help." The brunette whispered with a smile, her hands retrieving the candy only after the Witch moved her own hands back.

After giving the piece of fruity candy to the infected woman, Zoey gathered up the rest of the pieces before putting them back in her backpack. She pulled out another candy bar and broke it in half to split.

She'd barely taken a bite out of her half when Sonya approached her, watching her curiously as she chewed. "You're done already?" Zoey asked, feigning surprise as the red eyes met her own.

She broke off another small piece for the infected woman but the Witch shook her head, pointing back towards the survivor's chest. Shrugging, Zoey popped the piece into her mouth before finishing the rest of her half.

xxx

Zoey blinked, she tried to force her eyes open but they were still heavy from sleep. She heard crying and it was close. Sonya was still sitting next to her but the pale woman had once again turned so that her back was facing the survivor.

"Sonya, what's wrong?" Zoey asked, her voice much weaker than she intended. She tried to move but her limbs felt like they were on fire, even just the action of leaning forward had her head burning.

Finally, Zoey pushed herself up. Willing her body to move over to the hunched and weeping form. Sonya turned her tear filled eyes to meet Zoey's as a warm hand brushed her shoulder.

"Why are you crying?" Zoey asked softly, her voice nearly cracking from the emotions washing over her at the pain written across her friend's face.

The Witch shook her head before turning and burying her face in Zoey's neck, she held on tightly to the warm body before her. Careful not to harm the survivor with her sharp claws.

Zoey couldn't help but feel a deep sadness seeping into her heart, she hadn't seen Sonya cry like this since the first moment she'd seen her by the stairs. The Witch's lithe form was shaking violently as she sobbed, her icy tears making their way down Zoey's neck and catching on the collar of her shirt.

"It's going to be okay..." The human tried to sooth, her voice breaking a little as she hugged the other woman closer. Before she knew it, her own hot tears were tracking their way down her face. Sonya looked up a she felt Zoey's breathing growing more rough and uneven.

The woman's once youthful and excited features had darkened considerably since the beginning of the infection, her appearance was now haggard in comparison.

Sonya's sobs slowly ebbed away as she watched Zoey's own sadness creep in, she wanted to take the human's pain away. Leaning up, the Witch did what Zoey had done for her before. It was a touch that had not only reassured her but made her feel loved and comforted all at the same time.

Zoey's eyes fluttered shut as their lips connected, she couldn't help but bring the infected girl closer. Drawing her deeper into the embrace and kiss as she did.

She didn't know how long this moment would last, or even if the Witch would still be by her side in the morning. Her life had been so out of control since that pivotal moment in her living room at the beginning of the infection that she didn't know what the future held for her. If it even held anything at all.

In this moment, she had everything that she needed. She broke the kiss slowly before resting her chin gently on the top of Sonya's head, the Witch burrowed in closer. Her ear pressed to Zoey's chest just over her heart, they both had what they needed.

Zoey could feel the energy slowly seeping from her body, her own body heat warming the cool body in her arms. Sonya's gentle breathing was lulling her back to sleep, and in turn the human's slowing heart beat was calming the Witch.

**xxx The Next Morning xxx**

"Damn hoodie wearin' wuss..." A deep voice muttered, wiping blood and rain drops free of his shoulder with a gloved hand.

"Can it Francis! Do you hear that?"

The three men paused as Bill craned his neck forward, trying to hear passed the sound of the rain and thunder just outside.

"You're goin' senile old man, I don't hear nothin'." Francis said with a grunt, shouldering the extra gas can as well as he could with his homemade rope strap.

"We should keep moving." Louis urged quietly, the Vet glared at his two younger companions but nodded.

"Yeah, alright. Just keep yer ears and eyes open you two." He grumbled, making sure his assault rifle was reloaded and ready to shoot.

The three made their way quietly through the top floor of the Sugar Mill, they took out a few stray common infected with ease. Louis implementing his skills with a Katana as he cut them down silently.

The second floor was a little more difficult, a Charger made an attempt on Louis but was quickly put down by Francis' hunting rifle. The shots fired caused a small horde to attack the three survivors but they made their way through the commons easily. They noted the fact that a dead Boomer was not far from the steps, its time and method of death not evident. They guessed by the lack of shells or bullet holes anywhere around the remains that it had been killed with melee weapons and not a gun.

The rain outside calmed a little, a sound greeted them that made the hairs on the back of their necks rise. There was crying coming from the first floor and by the sounds of it, the Witch was already agitated by their gunfire.

"Told ya I heard somethin'." Bill grumbled, Francis scoffed.

"Ain't no way you heard that vampire bitch from all the way up there old man... I think those pills Louis has been slippin' ya are just too much for ya."

"Guys, is now really the time...?" Louis whispered in an exasperated tone, switching out his Katana for his shouldered auto shotgun.

Moving towards the front of the group and slowly moving down the steps, Francis crouched as he put his scope up to his eye.

"There." He whispered, his arm extending as he pointed towards the left corner. The Witch's eyes were glowing faintly from the shadows, a eerie red tinge highlighting the white hair that framed her face.

"Good, she's out of the way..."

"Wait, hold up." Francis said, catching the senior's army jacket as he tried to move to the head of the group.

"Take a look." He said, his voice taking an unusually quiet tone.

Bill furrowed his brows but temporarily agreed to swap guns with the younger man, what he saw with the scope made his heart sink.

Without a word he handed the gun off to a waiting and confused Louis, "Oh no... Not Zoey..." The man whispered as he realized what the other two had seen. Although they couldn't see her entire body, Zoey's worn and trademark Chucks were peeking out of the shadows. She appeared to be just a few feet away from the agitated Witch.

"Looks like this just went from a rescue to recovery..." Bill said, his gruff voice cracking slightly as he tried to hide his tear filled eyes from the other two.

The younger men remained silent, the three of them moved forward as quietly as possible. Their lights off now that they knew they were headed straight towards the infected creature.

As Louis stepped off of the last step a loud warning cry erupted from the Witch, it echoed down the hallway towards them. Their blood ran cold at the sound but they readied their weapons regardless, the men knew that if their friend was still alive they had to get to her quickly. Bill noticed that Zoey's fire axe was lying not far from the stairs, it was partially on the cement and partially in the small square patch of grass.

"How bad is she man?" Louis whispered, Francis shook his head.

"She's dirty and bloody but I don't see any marks on the front of her that look too serious... Maybe the bandaging on her thigh." He whispered back, his response void of any smartass retorts given the severity of the situation.

Setting his jaw firmly, the biker clicked on his flash light again in an attempt to get a better look at Zoey's prone form. As soon as the light buzzed to life they could plainly make out several common infected corpses in the hallway, what appeared to be the remains of a Smoker not far from where the Witch and Zoey were positioned.

The Witch rose from her crouched position, her angry wails growing louder and more frequent as she raised her arms slowly.

"Francis..." Louis warned in a low hiss, the biker shook his head.

"I'm ready for this bitch, she hurt Zoey." He responded in a gravelly voice, not even bothering to whisper.

The men readied their weapons but lowered them quickly as the Witch turned from them and ran down the darkened hallway opposite of the stairs.

"What the hell?" Francis cried, shooting after her.

Bill placed a firm hand on his shoulder and shook his head, "Stop it you idiot, if she's going to let us at the body without a fight I say we let her."

The men approached quickly, Francis eying the hallway the Witch had run down with cautious eyes as they passed it. He could see her glowing eyes at the end of the hall without using the scope, his grip tightened on his weapon as he turned back to the other men.

Bill knelt beside Zoey, her breathing was shallow and weak. He was surprised by how warm and slick her neck was as his fingers felt for her pulse point, "She's got a fever." He said, his voice still low.

"And her pulse is racing, she's in a bad way guys." At the close proximity to their downed friend, the three survivors could smell infection coming from the unconscious woman.

"Is that blood?" Louis asked, pointing towards the collar of her track jacket.

Bill leaned in closer to inspect the stain, his frown deepening as he confirmed Louis' observation. There was a dark crimson stain reaching from the brunette's hairline to her jacket, her hair was stiff and matted from the dried blood.

"She's got a pretty nasty infection going on the back of her head, Louis get over here." The older man instructed, standing up as the angry howls of a horde approached. The younger man looked towards the sound before taking Bill's spot next to Zoey.

"Are you sure?" He asked as he took out his med kit, the war Veteran nodded as he brought a cigarette to his lips.

"Yeah, we got this."

Francis nodded in agreement, lighting a Molotov he'd been getting ready. "Throwin' a Molotov!" He said, tossing the bottle out passed the doorway that lead out of the Sugar Mill.

Louis gently turned Zoey's head, the girl's eyes fluttered open weakly at the movement.

"Sonya?" She asked in a faint voice, Louis frowned and placed his hand over her own.

"It's me, Louis. We're here now Zoey, I'm gonna get you patched up. Okay?"

The girl remained silent, her eyes slowly drifting back shut. "Louis... Where's Sonya?"

"I don't know." He responded honestly to the woman's delirious questioning as he dug through his med kit, looking desperately for anything that might help with the infection spreading across the brunette's scalp.

Suddenly a loud sound off to his left made him look up, he'd barely heard it over the gun fire from his allies. Another loud cough echoed through the barren walls of the building. The man gulped, his hand reaching for his shotgun.

His fingers had barely grazed the metal when he felt the sticky tongue wrap around his torso, "Help! A Smokers got me!" He cried out before the air was squeezed from his lungs, he clamped his eyes shut tightly as he was dragged roughly against the cement floor.

"Hold on Louis! We're comin' for ya!" He could hear Francis yelling over the sound of gunfire but no help came, instead he got caught up on one of the crumbled walls protruding slightly along the hall. He could hear the Smoker release an aggravated groan at the hang up as the tongues grip tightened.

Louis stared around wildly in an attempt to find something, anything that could help him out of the predicament. A black fog seemed to creep into the edge of his vision, he would lose consciousness soon.

And then suddenly a weak pain filled cough echoed from behind him, the noxious smoke making him choke on the deep breath he took as he tried to inhale.

He got up and hurried back to the group and his gun, he picked up his shot gun and began helping the others shoot down the horde as they came through the entrance of the building and down the steps.

As the last zombie from the horde fell, the building became deathly quiet. "Thanks guys." Louis said, still winded from the fight.

Francis glanced sheepishly to Bill, "I didn't get ya, did you?"

Bill shook his head, confusion clouding his features for a moment before he went back over to Zoey's prone form.

The man bowed his head, he took his cigarette from his mouth and put it out against the cement. "She's gone." He said, his voice almost too quiet for them to hear.

Louis almost lost his grip on his gun, he tore his eyes away as they began to burn. Francis leaned back against the nearest wall, he looked towards the steps at the gap in the building where the sky was barely visible. It had stopped raining while they'd been fighting the horde, the sky although overcast was no longer releasing hell onto the earth. He turned back towards Bill and Zoey, the faint sound of sobbing reaching his ears.

Bill gently laid Zoey down on her side before shifting her so that she was laying on her back, legs extended. He folded her arms and placed them over her chest, smiling warmly at her dirty face as a tear slid down his wrinkled cheek. "I'll miss ya kid... You were one hell of a fighter."

He looked down for a moment, the next words caught in his throat. "Your dad would be proud."

He rose, nodding to Louis who made his way over silently to pay his last respects. Followed soon by Francis, the other two watched on in silence as the man placed his hand over Zoey's. Mumbling something quietly before rising, he glanced towards Bill who had already gathered the girl's torn backpack.

"Let's get the hell out of here, in one piece. For Zoey."

The others nodded, turning as they made sure they had their supplies. Each one looking one last time towards their fallen comrade before they were out of sight. Bill grunted, kicking at the body of a dead Spitter as he made his way out towards the entrance of the mill.


	3. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternate ending of sorts. The story can be over at chapter two if you prefer that ending. :) Thanks for reading!

Sonya remained crouched as she slowly crawled out of the shadows. Her awkward gait giving her the slow approach she needed to calm the phantom thump of her undead heart. 

She crinkled her nose as she crawled over the Smoker she'd cut down to help the one known as 'Louis.'

Sonya slunk passed the corpse, her eyes trained forward in case the three human males were still lingering towards the entrance of the building. The Witch's sharp hearing and eye sight told her that they'd already moved outside, the faint sound of gunfire only cementing her conclusion.

Sonya approached Zoey's prone form and despite the lack of life, the body was still burning to the touch. Especially for the cold skin of the Witch, her hand retracted slightly shocked at first by the temperature of her friend.

She stared sadly at the pale face, the one that had dried the tears in her eyes when she'd first laid eyes on her.

The human had been so pathetic, her body so weak when she'd fallen from the second floor.

The Witch had heard her move passed and up the steps, she'd almost paused in her sobbing to listen to the brawl that had taken place above. She knew that Boomers were one of the easier infected to kill but she hadn't been sure if the human was up for the task with the weapon she'd been carrying.

Her amusement in the human's bad luck had dissipated when the girl nearly fell into her lap, the smell of blood coming with her.

The smell had made Sonya recoil at first but her curiosity had gotten the better of her. It wasn't often that the survivors that happened passed her were quiet and without flashlights. This one had not provoked her in anyway that had been within her control and her weakened state meant that the Witch could kill her with a simple flick of the wrist.

When the girl had come to, all she could do was stare. The human had been one of the most beautiful creatures she'd laid eyes on since she'd come to the Sugar Mill, her green eyes and pink lips captivating.

Those lips were now paling, still slightly flushed red from the fever that had lead to her untimely death. Taking her clean hand, the Witch brushed her claws gently against the soft flesh.

Tears began to blur Sonya's view of Zoey, she tried to hold back her sobs as she lifted the human's torso onto her lap. Her thumb moved slowly across Zoey's cheek as she fought back the emotions that were threatening to bubble to the surface.

Her attempts however fell short, cold tears tracking their way down her cheeks as she pulled the limp form tighter. Sonya lost herself for several minutes, her natural tendency to cry as a Witch taking a strong hold as she mourned the loss of her new friend.

After about fifteen minutes the Witch's sobs began to quiet down, small whimpers replaced them as she rocked back and forth with Zoey's body still clutched tightly to her own.

Sonya felt her body seize up as a twitch from the human met her foggy mind, she pulled her head back. Her red eyes blinking the last of the tears from her eyes, another twitch.

Zoey's eyes were still shut but it was obvious that they were moving beneath the lids, even with how subtle the movement was. Her arms and legs continued to twitch in random intervals, sometimes going several minutes in between.

Sonya watched sadly as the twitching became more and more frequent, the veins in Zoey's neck standing out as her body temperature once again began to boil.

Suddenly the brunette's eyes flew open, her chest rising and expanding as she took in a deep breath. The sound she let out as she released the breath was painful and inhuman. She began to thrash in Sonya's arms violently, her eyes rolling back in her head.

The girl's mind was blank, a chaotic mixture of raw emotions and instincts fueling her. Her throat and mouth were moving just as frantically as her limbs but no sound was coming out, occasionally a weak grunt or gasp but nothing more.

When she finally found her voice it was in the form of loud shrieks, Sonya winced setting her jaw firmly as she did her best to block out the sound.

Hours passed slowly and painfully for both women, Zoey's limbs were slowly elongating and cracking back into place. Her fingers began to twitch, mimicking the same torture her legs and arms were going through. Her entire body felt like it was on fire, her thrashing had calmed down a bit. Sonya still held her loosely but she knew that it would be a while before the sick woman's body would have enough energy to thrash around again.

xxx

"...And this one time, me 'n Keith helped out in the cane fields..."

"Ellis, I get it. You were right, it was a cane field but now is not the time." A man wearing a stained white suit mumbled as he silenced the younger man behind him.

"Yeah... Especially with so many of them ex's of yours runnin' around Nick." A large man from the back answered, he tried to stifle his loud chuckle as the suited man shot him a glare.

"Ha ha. Very funny, I suggest being quiet if you don't want to piss one of those bitches off..."

"Yeah, I agree with Nick for once guys... Those things gimme the creeps!"

"All zombies give you the creeps Rochelle." The man named Nick muttered, running a hand through his greasy black hair before nodding to his companions.  
"Now that we're in the mill... We need to hurry up to that elevator and get to the gas, the guy I talked to on the radio said tomorrow would be the last time they'd be heading out this way."

Rochelle frowned but nodded her attention turning to the bigger man behind her, "How 'bout me and you clear those stairs, Coach?" She asked, nodding towards the stairs through the doorway up ahead.

Coach nodded with a grunt, checking the amount of gas still left in his chainsaw. "Let's get'em girl."

"Sounds good, Ellis and I will double check there's no supplies or weapon on the first floor. Don't move too far ahead and try to go without using a gun... We don't need a horde attacking us right now."

The two rolled their eyes as they made their way passed the suited man and made their way forward and up the stairs with caution.

The remaining two men moved forward slowly, the younger of the two continuing ahead as the suited man slowed to a stop. His once expensive shoe nudging the disfigured remains of a Spitter.

"Well, looks like someone's been through here recently..." He noted the head injury, which appeared to have been a up close shooting. "Ellis, hold up. Don't move too far ahead..."

The younger man had almost reached the far end of the hall, his worn yellow shirt almost disappearing in the shadows.

"Yeah, got somethin' down here too... Looks like a Smoker-" He felt his entire body stiffen as he noticed the two sets of glowing red eyes watching him from the shadows on the right. "Aww shit..."

Ellis let out a muffled cry as Nick's hand covered his mouth, "Don't say a word." The older man hissed as quietly as possible, a chill rolling down his spine as a deep growl echoed from the shadows.

As he pulled the country boy back into the safety of the empty hallway the flashlight on the man's hunting rifle flashed across the two Witches. Their growls instantly grew louder at the sudden burst of light but it was gone just as quickly as it had come. The growling lingered for a moment before the first floor once again fell silent.

Nick released Ellis when they were finally safe, just a foot or so away from the steps. "Y'all comin'?" Coach asked from above them, peering from the second part of the steps.

"Shh. There's Witches down here!" Ellis whispered loudly, earning himself a punch in the arm from Nick. The boy rubbed at his arm with a pout as the two of them started up the steps.

"Ya know... That one Witch was kind of pretty... She didn't look like most of 'em. It was almost like she wasn't done turnin', with that brown hair and all... And her clothes were different too."

Nick spat down towards the patch of grass down below them, "Nah, they're all the same kid. Keep your eyes open from now on." He replied quietly, trying to push similar thoughts from his mind.


End file.
